Description

Most famous for his harrowing Sermon of the Wolf to the English, Archbishop Wulfstan II of York (1002-23) has emerged in recent decades as one of the most important and influential figures in the late Anglo-Saxon church and state. This volume, which arises from a conference held in 2002 to mark the millennial anniversary of Wulfstans appointment as archbishop, is the first collection of essays to be devoted to this crucial figure. Its twenty contributors address the whole range of Wulfstans activities and writings, and supply not only an up-to-date survey of Wulfstan studies but also many new directions, discoveries, and insights. The studies within this volume variously explore Wulfstans preaching and law-making; his position in the late Anglo-Saxon church; the places and contexts in which he lived and worked; and, more generally, his learning, concerns, and ideas. The contributors, drawn from a variety of disciplines, bring together literary, historical, and art historical approaches to the study of Wulfstan, and a recurrent focus is on the extant manuscripts associated with him. Altogether, therefore, this volume provides a thorough and wide-ranging exploration of the life, works, and contexts of one of the most important of all Anglo-Saxons.